RV Water Heater Maintenance
This article will cover your RV’s water heater maintenance in a few easy steps. Unfortunately, many RVers aren’t aware of the maintenance they should be taking to keep their RV water heaters in top shape.
One of our most heard of complaints is they run out of hot water after a few minutes of being in the shower. On top of that, being able to wash dishes in warm water is a nice thing to have. Because of these requirements, RV water heaters are not something we’d want to be without so let’s discuss some simple maintenance.
Check the Water Heater Vent
One of the first things to look at when starting your Water Heater Maintenance is the internal heater vent. Dirt, debris and insects can gather here making it impossible for this system to get the air flow it needs. When the air has been blocked enough, it can actually cause the heater to stop working.
If there is debris in the vent, simply clean it out using your hands or a washcloth. If you have an insect nest such as wasps or other stinging insects, you may want to use wasp or insect spray then simply remove the nest after it’s safe.
Tank Flushing
At least once a year if you are on city water or every 6 months if you are on well water, you need to flush out your water heater tank. This is a simple process and helps prevent sediment buildup from accumulating in your tank.
Let’s start the tank flush by turning the water heater off (electric and propane) and waiting until the water in the tank has cooled completely. This is a very important safety step, so don’t skip it! You can tell when the water has cooled enough by running the hot water from the sink or shower. As soon as the water runs cool, you’ll know you’re ready to get started.
The next step is to turn off or unhook any city water connections to remove the plug or anode rod from your tank. Both are easy to locate and will need to be unscrewed from the tank. Many people like to use a socket, extension, and ratchet, as both the anode rods and the plugs can be difficult to remove. If your tank uses the plastic plug, be sure to do this carefully, because these plugs can break apart easily.
As soon as the plug or anode rod has been removed, the water should drain from the tank. Once all the water has drained, use a tool such as this flushing wand to flush the tank. This should remove any remaining debris and loose calcium from the tank.
Related Read: Using Your RV Water Heater
Anode Rod and/or Drain Plug Replacement
Flushing your tank and replacing your anode rod or plug should be done together.
Let’s start by pointing out that not all water heaters have anode rods. If you have a Suburban brand heater you most likely have an anode rod. Atwood water heaters usually use a plug and do not need the anode rod.
The purpose of the anode rod is to protect the tank from rust and corrosion. When you remove your anode rod, inspect it and if it looks quite thin, replace it now. A rod with very little corrosion can be reused.
As we discussed earlier, RV water heaters that don’t use anode rods have a plastic plug instead. These plugs are not very strong and so they should never be reused.
It doesn’t matter if your tank uses a plastic plug or anode rod, you need to wrap teflon tape around the threads before replacing it.
After the plug or rod has been replaced, be sure to fill the tank before turning the water heater back on. If the water heater element is not immersed in water, it can fail in a short amount of time.
Propane System Care
With your tank flushed and plugged, you’ll want to turn your attention to the propane system (if your heater has propane option, that is). Take a look in the burner and clean out any debris that may have gathered there. Check for a good, solid blue flame when you turn the propane heat option on. If the flame is flickering, weak, yellow or orange in color, you might need to follow the instructions in this video.
Winterizing
Finally, we need to discuss winterizing. Around our area it doesn’t usually get cold enough to winterize but we will briefly discuss the subject. A big part of winterizing your RV is making sure your water heater tank is completely empty in order to prevent damage from freezing.
This is accomplished by turning your RV’s water heater bypass valves to prevent any water from entering the tank.
Next, remove your tank plug or anode rod and let the water completely drain out. You can also use this opportunity to flush the tank and change the plug or anode rod. When the water has completely drained from the tank, your water heater is ready for winter. You can then put in a new plug or replace your anode rod and move to the next step of winterizing other parts of your rig.